2008 Fanfiction Awards - Suggestions

[Elemental Charizam]

My only suggestion is to try and avoid making the category list bloated. You seem to be mindful of it anyway, though.

 

[Zadros]

That would be Best Setting.

I suppose, in a way. I think I have a slightly different idea of 'setting'.

 

[duncan]

This may seem like a stupid question, but entries from the Tragedy One-Shot contest that have been posted already are eligible for this contest, aren't they?

 

[Saffire Persian]

How about "Best Character Development" under the "Other Fic Awards" category?

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

Also a silly award. Thesaurus abuse is not something to be awarded; filling your story with complicated words the average reader does not understand is a bad thing, and thus those with big vocabularies who have any sense in how to use them will not display the full extent of said vocabularies anyway

But thesaurus abuse isn't good vocabulary. I think good vocabulary is finding that balance between basic words and descriptive words. You don't have to go over the readers' heads to have a masterful use of the language--in fact, I'd say quite the opposite.

On the other hand, we should challenge readers. Reading should be a learning experience. Just not every other word, of course, but here and there should be fine. After all, that's how it works in conversation, and characters should talk in believable manners, which includes words they know that maybe not everyone does.

 

[Dramatic Melody]

Exactly what are the thread start dates eligible for this contest? Or is it any fic, regardless of thread start date, that was active in 2008?

Also, will fics posted while the awards are on-going be eligible for any award?

Just wondering...

 

[oRaNgE~1337]

How about changing "Best One-Chapter Character" to "Best One-Time Character"? Some one-time characters get to appear in more than one chapter in a row before never being seen again, so it'd be good to clarify that those would count, too.

It sounds like a character who appears in every chapter could be that. I don't like that, really.

I think good vocabulary is finding that balance between basic words and descriptive words.

What do you mean by a descriptive word? I could guess every word is descriptive, but I don't think that's what you mean.

 

[poke poke]

What do you mean by a descriptive word? I could guess every word is descriptive, but I don't think that's what you mean.

I think she means descriptive adjectives. She does make a good point.

 

[elyvorg]

It sounds like a character who appears in every chapter could be that. I don't like that, really.

If they appear in every chapter, then they're not a one-time character, are they? One-time character means anyone who appears once and is then never seen again once they've left - but it doesn't mean that this single appearance from them has to be in just one chapter. It could be stretched over two or perhaps even three, and the character still might be unimportant enough to not appear again and therefore be counted as a one-off.

 

[mimefan]

Does unfinished fanfics count if so then DJ:HOH by Mix for best pokemon chaptered fic. Also for best human supporting character Tom from the retelling of Pokemon Colosseum.

 

[elyvorg]

Tom was one of the reasons I suggested a Funniest Character category, and it looks like Dragonfree's going to add that in.

 

[Dragonfree]

I do have a quick question. I won a few years ago for another fic. This mean I am still unelligible since I won before? I'm just curious. I think I stayed out of last year's contest for that reason even though some people did nominate me.

As I just said in my previous post, I do not find there is any need for placing a restriction on those who have won awards before.

Hey, it's cool to see these. Is there going to be something about fic with canon characters? Because from the looks of it, the characters seem to talk about original characters.

Best Canon-Centric has already been suggested. The character awards could fairly easily apply to well-portrayed canon characters as well, I think.

How about changing "Best One-Chapter Character" to "Best One-Time Character"? Some one-time characters get to appear in more than one chapter in a row before never being seen again, so it'd be good to clarify that those would count, too.

You make a good point, but one would probably need to restrict that - after all, the point of having a special category for it is that developing a memorable, interesting character in the space of a short time is a special challenge. Perhaps nominators should need to detail the character's significance in the story for it to be determined whether they really qualify for a one-time appearance?

I've got my doubts about this, not that they should matter. As always, I hope for a fair and fun competition like it was last time, though hopefully with less anger and accusations as I remember being flung about in previous years.

With restrictions on how many categories a person can win, I don't think there is likely to be much drama about that. Or if there is, the people involved must be extraordinarily sore losers.

My only suggestion is to try and avoid making the category list bloated. You seem to be mindful of it anyway, though.

I'm trying to keep the number of categories reasonably limited but still varied.

I suppose, in a way. I think I have a slightly different idea of 'setting'.

Well, basically setting covers the place where the story is set in every sense. If they've made a great original universe, that's a good setting. If they've portrayed Pallet Town really well, that's a good setting.

This may seem like a stupid question, but entries from the Tragedy One-Shot contest that have been posted already are eligible for this contest, aren't they?

Wasn't I just saying that in my last post? At least I don't think there is any need to restrict entries from one-shot contests from being entered in the awards.

How about "Best Character Development" under the "Other Fic Awards" category?

That would possibly be pretty much the same as the "Best Characters" already suggested (the characters are generally better when they're developed, at least), but if people think it would be better to include both, that's fine by me too.

But thesaurus abuse isn't good vocabulary. I think good vocabulary is finding that balance between basic words and descriptive words. You don't have to go over the readers' heads to have a masterful use of the language--in fact, I'd say quite the opposite.

On the other hand, we should challenge readers. Reading should be a learning experience. Just not every other word, of course, but here and there should be fine. After all, that's how it works in conversation, and characters should talk in believable manners, which includes words they know that maybe not everyone does.

My point was not that people should use only the simplest of words, but that flaunting their big vocabularies was generally not a good thing. In any case, proper vocabulary use as you were describing it pretty much falls under Best Writing Style anyway, so I still don't see the need for a category about vocabulary.

Exactly what are the thread start dates eligible for this contest? Or is it any fic, regardless of thread start date, that was active in 2008?

Also, will fics posted while the awards are on-going be eligible for any award?

Just wondering...

I'd say either anything that has been updated in the past year from when the nomination thread is started or anything that has been updated since the last awards were held (which would add a couple of months). Going by starting dates would hardly be fair in my opinion as it refuses to acknowledge improvement in longer works: something that wasn't that good at the time of the previous awards because it hadn't gotten that far could be the best fic in the forums now and there is no reason to exclude it if it's still active.

Does unfinished fanfics count if so then DJ:HOH by Mix for best pokemon chaptered fic. Also for best human supporting character Tom from the retelling of Pokemon Colosseum.

This is a discussion thread, not a nomination thread. Try actually reading it. The categories haven't even been finalized.

There is no reason to discount unfinished fanfics (if we did, we sure wouldn't have a lot of nominees in the chaptered category). Whether to discount formally abandoned fanfics is another matter; after all, I'd prefer being able to contact all nominated authors to pick which categories to run for. :/

 

[~*~milotic~*~]

So just to clairify, we cannot nominate yet? anyways there should be an award for best female character, and best male character. Maybe even best dscription story.

 

[Dragonfree]

I thought I had made it very clear that this is a discussion thread, what with it not being stickied, being posted in the Authors' Café, being named "2008 Fanfiction Awards - Suggestions" and generally talking about how the categories are not finalized and how I would start a nomination thread at a specific date (not to mention that my last post ended in a special clarification about how this is not the nomination thread).

I see no reason to have special awards for male and female characters. There is no reason to suppose there is an inherent difference between writing male and female characters like there is an inherent difference between writing a main character and a supporting character, and I'm really not particularly worried that female characters are at a disadvantage thanks to their gender.

 

[whit19]

It's not that main girl chars is at a disadvantage, but it's always fun ta see best male performance and best female performance. Then again, those awards is real different from best main guy and girl, 'cause they could include support characters and villains.

 

[Dilasc]

It's not that main girl chars is at a disadvantage, but it's always fun ta see best male performance and best female performance. Then again, those awards is real different from best main guy and girl, 'cause they could include support characters and villains.

It's even more fun to see men perform as women and women perform as men. Unfortunately, there's likely not going to be an award for that. For less extreme reasons, I see sexist rewards not needed either.

 

[Blackjack Gabbiani]

My point was not that people should use only the simplest of words, but that flaunting their big vocabularies was generally not a good thing.

But what's "flaunting a big vocabulary" to you may be ordinary language to the writer or character. There's a huge difference between that and what you called "thesaurus abuse".

 

[Flaming Lip]

But what's "flaunting a big vocabulary" to you may be ordinary language to the writer or character. There's a huge difference between that and what you called "thesaurus abuse".

I think vocabulary is best covered in Writing Style. Though I do agree that word choice is important, and that it doesn't necesarily have to do with thesaurus thumping. Like the rhythm of the writing, and how it sets the mood for a story (simple, straight foreward choice of words giving a sort of bareness to a story that might call for it).

I think 'best charecter' is vauge. I'd say replace it with 'Best Charecter Development' for chaptered stories, and "Best Charecter Sketche' for one-shots (becasue unless the one-shot focuses on the charecter, you're not gonna get any particualarly vivid charecters... not that it's a bad thing).

And I don't think we need both Plot categories are neccesary. The Best Plot should probably be the most original, even if the opposate isn't true. I mean, I could have a really original plot that could actually be pretty stupid, or nonsensical, and unless it's supposed to be absurd, that's not really something to reward. Originality in a plot isn't really worth much unless it has substance behind it.

 

[mimefan]

Best death scene in a fanfic. For humans and for pokemon.

 

[Manchee]

I think maybe you should make a Best Un-Finished Fic Catagory. Only because of the fact that some Fics do turn out to be really great, but then the writer ends up having to close it and dissappoint a lot of people.